Fellow Stories
True gap year stories from Fellows abroad!
Check out the latest blogs from Global Citizen Year Fellows in Brazil, Ecuador, and India!
Category
Class Year
Country
Galápagos
Annika Kapp
2019-12-08
When I was six years old, I loved to watch nature documentaries. They were funny educational films with speaking animals, and one of them was about the Galápagos islands. One scene from this movie that still remains very clearly in my mind is a group of marine iguanas taking in the sun on the volcanic...
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Five-Star Food for Thought
Charlie Dickerson
2019-12-04
Now that I’ve been sick in bed all week and have finished every episode of Black Mirror, I guess all I’ve got left to do is catch up on the blogging. Before I get into the main topic of this post, I’ll provide a brief update on what I’ve been up to over the past...
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Why I Hate Fundraising Goals
Maya Holcomb
2019-12-03
A field of corn with the capital city of the province, Ibarra, in the background. A friendly reminder that money doesn’t grow on corn stalks. A requirement for completion of the Global Citizen Year program is to raise $2,500 for the scholarship fund. This is a super important part of the program because without this...
Read MoreThe First Day of School
Buddy Bomze
2019-12-02
You know that feeling before the first day of school? Well on the Saturday morning that I was first dropped off with my host family, I was more nervous than I think I will ever be again. There were six fellows in the van with me that morning, as well as our team leader. We...
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Backyard Adventures
Angela Seo
2019-11-20
On my birthday, Oct. 11, I explored our backyard (since we couldn’t leave due to the protests) with my two host brothers, Angel and Mateo, and my host cousin, Josue. We walked around the perimeter of the field and they pointed out the different plants and fruits we saw. I also got to visit their...
Read MoreA Day in the Work Life
'Los
2019-11-19
I had an unrealistic or maybe just purposely blindsided idea of what my year would be like in Ecuador. I thought I would finally be able to catch up on all my sleep because I thought having a 6:00AM wakeup time was no more. Turns out, I was very wrong. My day starts promptly at...
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14973 kilometres
Annika Kapp
2019-11-18
The linear distance between Paute, Ecuador and Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, is approximately 14,973 kilometres (9,303 miles). To put this into perspective for you, Cuenca, Ecuador and Subang Jaya, Malaysia, which are two of the cities that are the furthest apart from each other in the entire world, lie at a distance of 19,989 km (12,421 miles)....
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Missing the Big Things
Maya Holcomb
2019-11-17
Most of the things that I miss from home are little things that I will come back to in the next year. I miss my job as a camp counselor, I miss working at a ski resort, I miss various foods. I miss the community that I have in Utah, one major component is my...
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A guide to bus rides in Ecuador
Annika Kapp
2019-11-15
I’m sitting at the open bus window, enjoying the fresh breeze which is providing a bit of relief from the stuffy-dry air inside. The strategic choice of your seat is vital in order to survive the one-hour ride to Cuenca. An amateur may think that any seat with window will do the job, but...
Read MoreChicha, the Symbol of Indigenous Strength
Elaine Liang
2019-11-14
Chicha is a fermented corn drink essential to all the fiestas and festivals of the indigenous community. In the past, the militaristic government did everything in their power to prevent the indigenous from drinking or making chicha. Anyone who tried was killed on the spot. However, that didn’t deter el pueblo Imbabureño – in fact,...
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2 months in Ecuador
Annika Kapp
2019-11-09
When my host dad realised the other day that it has been over 2 months now since I joined their family, he didn’t want to believe it. Time flies! I have already been sharing my experience here by writing and taking pictures, but I also wanted to convey it in a more lively way –...
Read MoreBad Luck
Angela Seo
2019-11-06
My other fellow fellows and I at Peguche waterfall during Debrief Circle 2. It was a struggle to get there with crutches, but with the help of fellows and staff, I got to see the beautiful view! I will be the first to admit that I’ve had a couple of fails. You know how people...
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